Three hours later, the illuminated warning sign above the operating room finally flashed off, and the heavy double doors swung open. The lead heart surgeon stepped out into the corridor, pulling down his surgical mask to report on the success of the grueling procedure.

Standing nearby, Elia’s parents caught sight of the fragile child who had just received the heart of their late daughter. They were completely paralyzed by a profound, helpless grief over the tragic loss of their own child, but knowing a vital part of Elia was still beating and living in this world, they could only cling to each other and weep in silent solace.

"The transplant was a complete success," the surgeon announced, his voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and quiet triumph. "However, the next 24 hours are critical. We will have her under intensive, round-the-clock monitoring to ensure her body doesn’t reject the organ and that no secondary complications arise. For now, the best thing we can do is wait for her to safely regain consciousness."

Hearing the medical update, Cayenne heaved a massive, trembling sigh of relief. For what felt like an eternity, she had been desperately praying to find a compatible heart donor to save Chloe’s life, but she had never envisioned that her prayers would be answered through such a heartbreaking twist of fate. After all, she still owed Elia an immeasurable debt of gratitude for stepping in to save her relatives from danger.

The group watched in hushed voices as Chloe was smoothly ushered down the hall and settled into a secure VIP recovery suite. No one uttered a single word, allowing a heavy, respectful silence to fill the room while the nursing staff meticulously calibrated the vital monitoring apparatus and hooked up the necessary life-support lines. There was no need for conversation; the sheer relief washing over their faces made it beautifully clear how overjoyed they were to see the young girl finally delivered from the jaws of an ominous predicament.

Amidst the heavy quiet of the corridor, Cayenne pulled out her phone and drafted a comprehensive update to Justin regarding Chloe’s surgery. Looking back, they weren’t blood relatives, but she couldn’t help but feel that crossing paths with them was fate’s deliberate way of allowing her to permanently alter the trajectory of their lives. She sank onto bench right outside the VIP suite, her thumbs moving steadily across the screen as she continued to exchange messages with the young man. To ease his anxiety, she snapped a gentle photo of the resting little girl through the viewing glass and sent it over.

"Thank you so much, Miss Yen," Justin’s reply popped up almost instantly - the text practically vibrating with the immense weight of his gratitude toward his former employer. "I will never forget the helping hands you extended to my family when we were at our lowest. One day, I swear I will find a way to repay this debt to you."

"Please don’t overthink it or carry that as a burden," Cayenne responded smoothly, a warm smile gracing her lips. "I’m genuinely grateful that I could help when it mattered most. Now that she’s officially out of immediate danger, I’m going to arrange for a trusted caretaker to watch over her recovery. You know my situation—I can’t afford to remain away from home for too long."

Justin agreed and bid farewell with his father calling for his attention on the background. He needed to leave for cram school.

Locking her phone, she stood up and smoothed down her clothes, preparing to step back inside the room to finalize the medical arrangements.

Jackson had remained glued to Cayenne’s side throughout the entire ordeal, but his presence was purely physical. She couldn’t help but notice how restless—almost hollow—he seemed as he stared blankly at the empty space ahead. His gaze was entirely unfocused, and she could tell that absolutely nothing from their immediate surroundings was registering in his mind.

"Jackson?" Cayenne called out softly, but the man remained frozen on the spot, completely unresponsive to her voice. "Jackson," she tried again, stepping closer to gently tap his shoulder.

Jackson finally turned his head to look at Cayenne, but recognition took a full minute before he responded to her. "Miss Yen, do you need something?"

"No. Nothing. I was just worried about you. You look like you’ve lost something important. Do you need help?" Jackson shook his head, then nodded, this confused his employer. "Let’s talk on the way back. I just need to make a few arrangements."

True to her words, Cayenned talked to Jackson about his concern. These past few days, he worked robotically to complete his tasks while looking like the world was about to collapse. There were even instances that he looked like he was about to erupt in anger or frustration, yet he didn’t say a single word.

"So, tell me?" Cayenne urged the man to speak what was in his mind.

"I need to leave for a few days," Jackson responded while keeping his eyes on the road. "I have to find my sister."

Cayenne’s brow furrowed, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. ’Since when did Jackson have a sister?’ As far as her records and memory served, he was an only child. But looking at the raw anxiety etched into his face, she decided to table her questions. If taking temporary leave from the office would help pull her secretary out of whatever crisis he was drowning in, she wouldn’t stand in his way.

"How long will you be gone?" She asked gently.

Jackson stared past her, his eyes hollow. He didn’t even know where to begin. Isabelle had simply vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but a deafening silence behind. "It... it might take a month. To be honest, Miss Yen, I have no idea where to even start looking for her.

"Why don’t we loop Tristan in?" Cayenne suggested, offering a reassuring smile. "He can locate her in no time."

"You’ve already done it, and I truly appreciate the help," Jackson replied, his voice cracking slightly. "But this... this disappearance isn’t normal. Miss Yen, I am so incredibly sorry for walking away from my responsibilities. I know how much the foundation means to you, but my sister is my lifeline. I can’t lose her again."

A cold prickle of unease washed over Cayenne.

Her confusion deepened, twisting into a tight knot in her stomach. ’We already did?’ She and Stefan hadn’t given Tristan any instructions to track Jackson’s sister—they hadn’t even known she existed until two minutes ago.

Then, the pieces clicked, and a chilling realization dawned on her. "It’s Isabelle?"